Tired legs after work

Ive been working a retail job for the last two months in a camera shop. before this Ive mainly done pub/bar work, or shit in offices. when i worked in a pub i was moving around a lot but got to sit down a fair bit.

Im finding that i spend almost my whole day standing around, and as a result i have heavy legs at the end of the day. i feel ok walking around, but my legs feel crap when i get on the bike. i have a 16mile commute home which crosses the north downs, so its not the best.

other than finding ways to not do work and sit on my arse, how can i make my legs feel better? is there some stretches i can do to loosen them up?

Not sure stretches will give you more energy, are your legs not just tired?

In which case HTFU is probably the best advice, your legs will probably get used to it.

The tired leg feeling is due to blood pressure increasing in your lower extremities. Compression socks & wearing boots with laces fairly tight will help.

Once you start riding blood should start pumping again making it feel better. Riding lower gears would be good for this rather than grinding away on something big when legs are tired & weak.

Also make sure you are eating regularly (most people dont when at work) will help A LOT with the general tiredness feeling.

yeah i have no doubt my legs will harden up, but they haven't yet so i need to do something to help in the meantime.

i wouldn't say its lack of energy, im still a hyper mess. they just feel weak and achy when i get on the bike at the end of my day.

Start your ride easier than you think you should and warm up a bit.

Most people smash it as soon as they leave the door with no thought to warming their shitty, useless pathetic, weedy, slow, poor excuses for legs.

Regular healthy small snacks FTW. Sure your hyperness isn't just a facet of your personality rather than actually having energy?

Also make sure you are eating regularly (most people dont when at work) will help A LOT with the general tiredness feeling.

Also make sure you keep hydrated throughout the day, with isotonic drinks if you can. If you get dehydrated your blood volume will be lower than it should be, which means your blood pressure needs to increase in order to push it towards your upper body (as DFP said).

when i worked in a pub i was moving around a lot but got to sit down a fair bit.

There's the problem- you are weak due to lack of HTFU/effort.

Try harder and your legs will be fine.

I stand up 6-8 hours all day, outside too. It was hard for the first few weeks but I've now been doing this for 2 years almost. You should get used to it, it takes some more time than others I guess.

Don't push yourself in the morning, push yourself in the evening. Relaxed ride to work, and cane it home. That has been working fine with me.

my ride into work is always easy going and im fresh in the morning. i dont normally come out of the small chain ring. my ride home is a lot more difficult as i hit steep hills almost immediately with no real time to warm up. i could go round the houses to warm up, but i just want to get home quickly so don't normally bother.

cant really eat snacks outside of my lunch break, but i keep hydrated so i don't get all afternoon lethargic. don't believe in using isotonic/energy/magic potion drinks even if they work.

Im gonna try getting some better work shoes, doing a bunch of stretching and maybe getting a cassette with lower gearing so i can take it a bit easier on my commute.

citygent- what is it you do outside?

On Street Promotions. Essentially I teamlead a bunch of people who hand out, or don't hand out, lots and lots of leaflets.

Yep, we're those guys.

Isotonic drinks aren't the same as caffeine-stuffed sugary energy drinks like Red Bull, so there's no need to fear taking them. I've got a neurological condition which has caused my blood pressure to stop working, and my consultant has told me to drink these rather than water if I can as they are better for keeping you hydrated since they contain electrolytes which aid fluid absorption. They are expensive though :-(

it's got what plants crave

During my years in retail I used to get sore feet/legs being stood about all day.
For me I found superfeet insoles worked wonders. Weird at first, expensive but very comfortable.
Sad to say I've been using them ever since and now footware feels strange and uncomfortable without them.
Yeah they are about £30 a pair but I usually get at least a couple of years wear out of them, so I reckon it's not bad value all in all

http://www.superfeet.co.uk/

"But why do they use electrolytes to make Brawndo?"

"Cause... Brawndo's got electrolytes."

Being on your feet all day on the spot is just bad for you. A shortcut to varicose veins, too. I would try and get them to let you sit down more.

I seem to hit a low point about 2 in the afternoon each day, this is worse or better depending on what I have eaten. I am usually feeling a bit weak by the time I leave work at 4.30, but after about 20 mins of riding I start to feel on fire again. My morning ride is always fine too and I am raring to go. Have felt like this for years now, so I am resigned to the fact that this is just how my body is, that or its cause I am an old geezer now.

I am usually feeling a bit weak by the time I leave work at 4.30.

have some snack before you leave, it make a difference in how you feel when you finish work, banana, kendal mint cake, etc.

I doubt your age is the issue, my father is nearly 60 and he still cane it to and from work everyday for the past 3 years (120 miles a week), he used to find it tiring occasionally but after having a cyclefit, he found a lots more energy in him to make the journery more bearable as well as the bike being a lots more comfortable than before.

And what citygent do is a good idea - gentle ride in morning, cane it in evening, work for me too, well not so much 'caning' it on a dutch bike when I don't feel like cycling.

have some snack before you leave, it make a difference in how you feel when you finish work, banana, kendal mint cake, etc.

I doubt your age is the issue, my father is nearly 60 and he still cane it to and from work everyday for the past 3 years (120 miles a week), he used to find it tiring occasionally but after having a cyclefit, he found a lots more energy in him to make the journery more bearable as well as the bike being a lots more comfortable than before.

And what citygent do is a good idea - gentle ride in morning, cane it in evening, work for me too, well not so much 'caning' it on a dutch bike when I don't feel like cycling.

I find I don't get that weak feeling if I don't eat during the day, and I have a problem with eating even small snacks then riding Ed. I always get indigestion after 15 mins or so. I think I am just odd.

Is there a certain type of food that give you indigestion? I get some bad indigestion when I had food like croissant, bagel, etc. but with certain fruit, it's fine.

I think maybe I just scoff it too quick Ed, bananas are my fav fruit, but they kill me. Am the same too with bagels, doughnuts, croissants etc. I try to eat about 10 ish then not eat again until I get home at night, just a light snack. This seems to work best.

My breakfast consisted of cheap salami, processed cheese slices and lemon soft drink.

My tea last night consisted of 3 bourbon biscuits, 2 teaspoons of Nutella, a live yoghurt and 12 squares of chocolate. I think I am going to die earlyish in life.

Pimp

your diet is a lot of the problem

you eat nothing from 10 am until you get home and worry why you have no energy? And you eat a lot of sugary things with apparently no slow release carbs

Also isotonic drinks are to help replace salts lost on sweating so are not really needed

"But why do they use electrolytes to make Brawndo?"

"Cause... Brawndo's got electrolytes."

"DO YOU GUYS EVEN KNOW WHAT ELECTROLYTES ARE?!"

"It's what they use to make Brawndo, duh"